Door hook for a household appliance door

Abstract

A door hook for a door assembly of a household appliance, wherein the household appliance includes a housing having an opening for accessing an interior of the housing, a tub disposed inside the housing, the tub having a rotating drum therein for receiving laundry through the opening, the door assembly having a see-through portion for viewing into the tub, the door assembly being pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an open position for accessing the opening of the housing and a closed position for closing the opening of the housing, the door hook including a base plate having a front face and a rear face, a striker extending from the front face of the base plate, and a locating feature extending from the rear face of the base plate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A door hook for a door assembly of a household appliance, wherein the household appliance includes a housing having an opening for accessing an interior of the housing, a tub disposed inside the housing, the tub having a rotating drum therein for receiving laundry through the opening, the door assembly having a see-through portion for viewing into the tub, the door assembly being pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an open position for accessing the opening of the housing and a closed position for closing the opening of the housing,
 the door hook comprising:
 a base plate having a front face and a rear face; 
 a striker extending from the front face of the base plate; and 
 a locating feature extending from the rear face of the base plate and directly opposite the striker, the locating feature eliminating variations in a location of the striker with respect to a door frame of the door assembly and aligning the striker on the door frame. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The door hook of  claim 1 , wherein the locating feature is a screw boss extending from the rear face of the base plate and directly opposite the striker. 
     
     
       3. The door hook of  claim 2 , wherein the striker includes sidewalls disposed around a perimeter of the screw boss such that the screw boss is accessible from a side of the front face of the base plate. 
     
     
       4. The door hook of  claim 2 , wherein the striker includes a portion that provides clearance such that the screw boss is accessible from a side of the front face of the base plate. 
     
     
       5. The door hook of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a flange formed on a first end of the base plate; and 
 a resilient clip formed on a second end of the base plate, wherein the first end is opposite the second end. 
 
     
     
       6. The door hook of  claim 5 , wherein the resilient clip includes a tab that is capable of being depressed from an original position and springing back toward the original position upon being released. 
     
     
       7. The door hook of  claim 1 , wherein the household appliance is a washer. 
     
     
       8. A household appliance comprising:
 a housing having an opening for accessing an interior of the housing; 
 a tub disposed inside the housing, the tub having a rotating drum therein for receiving laundry through the opening; and 
 a door assembly having a see-through portion for viewing into the tub, the door assembly being pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an open position for accessing the opening of the housing and a closed position for closing the opening of the housing, 
 wherein the door assembly includes:
 a door frame including:
 a front face having an outside edge and an inside edge, wherein the inside edge defines an opening in the front face that substantially corresponds to a shape of the opening of the housing; 
 a rear face on an opposite side of the door frame from the front face; and 
 a door hook receptacle on the rear face; and 
 
 a door hook secured to the door hook receptacle, wherein the door hook includes:
 a base plate having a front face and a rear face; 
 a striker extending from the front face of the base plate; and 
 a locating feature extending from the rear face of the base plate and directly opposite the striker, the locating feature eliminating variations in a location of the striker with respect to the door frame of the door assembly and aligning the striker on the door frame. 
 
 
 
     
     
       9. The household appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the locating feature is a screw boss extending from the rear face of the base plate and directly opposite the striker. 
     
     
       10. The household appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the striker includes sidewalls disposed around a perimeter of the screw boss such that the screw boss is accessible from a side of the front face of the base plate. 
     
     
       11. The household appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the first aperture includes a screw receptacle,
 the household appliance further comprising a screw disposed between the sidewalls of the striker and extending through the screw boss of the door hook and into the screw receptacle of the door hook receptacle. 
 
     
     
       12. The household appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the striker includes a portion that provides clearance such that the screw boss is accessible from a side of the front face of the base plate. 
     
     
       13. The household appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the door hook includes:
 a flange formed on a first end of the base plate; and 
 a resilient member formed on a second end of the base plate, wherein the first end is opposite the second end. 
 
     
     
       14. The household appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the resilient member includes:
 a resilient clip that is capable of being depressed from an original position and springing back toward the original position upon being released. 
 
     
     
       15. The household appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the door hook receptacle includes a first aperture that engages the locating feature of the door hook in an installed position. 
     
     
       16. The household appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the first aperture includes a screw receptacle. 
     
     
       17. The household appliance of  claim 16 , comprising:
 a screw extending through the locating feature of the door hook and into the screw receptacle of the door hook receptacle. 
 
     
     
       18. The household appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the door hook receptacle includes a recessed surface that receives the base plate of the door hook in an assembled position, and
 wherein the first aperture is formed in the recessed surface. 
 
     
     
       19. The household appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the door hook receptacle includes a tapered sidewall. 
     
     
       20. The household appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the door hook receptacle includes:
 a cantilever projection at a first end of the door hook receptacle; and 
 a second aperture formed in the recessed surface, 
 the cantilever projection extending from the recessed surface and over an opening of the second aperture such that a portion of the opening of the second aperture is disposed under the cantilever projection, 
 wherein the flange of the door hook is inserted into the second aperture and a portion of the base plate is disposed under the cantilever projection in an assembled position. 
 
     
     
       21. The household appliance of  claim 20 , wherein the door hook receptacle further includes:
 a third aperture in the recessed surface at a second end, 
 wherein the resilient member of the door hook is inserted into the third aperture and engaged with an adjacent surface of the third aperture in the assembled position. 
 
     
     
       22. The household appliance of  claim 20 , wherein the first aperture includes a screw receptacle,
 the household appliance further comprising a screw extending through the locating feature of the door hook and into the screw receptacle of the door hook receptacle. 
 
     
     
       23. The household appliance of  claim 18 , wherein the door hook receptacle includes:
 a third aperture in the recessed surface at a second end, 
 wherein the resilient member of the door hook is inserted into the third aperture and engaged with an adjacent surface of the third aperture in an assembled position. 
 
     
     
       24. The household appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the household appliance is a washer. 
     
     
       25. The household appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the striker engages the housing of the household appliance and secures the door assembly in the closed position. 
     
     
       26. The household appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the housing includes a door hook receptacle adjacent to the opening of the housing; and
 wherein the striker engages the door hook receptacle of the housing and secures the door assembly against the housing when the door assembly is in the closed position.